Archive for November, 2012

Hi, it’s Coach Pete and it’s almost Thanksgiving time. It’s one of my most enjoyable times of the year. Families get together at the dinner table and really reflect on the things they have to be thankful for, enjoy each other, and enjoy a great meal together. It’s really my most favorite holiday. But I have to be honest with you, for all of you who have successful family businesses, you don’t seem as happy and as grateful as I think you could be. In fact in a lot of families spend so much time focusing on what is not working, they don’t spend enough time on what is working. You know building an attitude of gratitude is like a muscle. Like anything else, you can practice it. The brain scientists have proven to us now that when you’re in a mindset of gratitude, you have more access to the creative part of your brain and when you have more access to that part of your brain; you’ll solve problems, you’ll get along better, you’ll create greater solutions for your business, so here’s what I’d like you to do.

I’ve got a few things that you can start practicing being grateful for: How about just having a family? Having a family business? Having a mother and father? Or siblings? I lost 2 of my siblings by the time I was 30. I’d love to have them back and if I was angry with them in a family business, I would get the heck out of the family business.

So here’s my challenge to you: Take on a practice of gratitude. Come up with a daily gratitude journal – you could write a letter to your founders or talk to them. I do that. I like to speak to the original Walsh Brothers and I say, “Hey thanks a lot for giving me this opportunity. Thanks very much for creating this business.” And you know what? The other thing you could do is – maybe it’s time to say thank you for everything you got in this family business and move on. Go start something for yourself. Don’t stand and be unhappy. The bottom line is a mindset of gratitude is a choice you make and it’s a muscle you can build and I need you to start working on it right now. Don’t ruin or waste this holiday season by having a bad attitude! Start some practices to get that grateful mindset.

I’ll be grateful if you send me some feedback about this video, comments on how it’s going or future things you’d like to see us discuss here in the community. Get back in the game and play to your potential!

Be sure to send this to anyone whom you think could benefit from this. If you would like to receive our free videos via email, please sign up here.

My brother and I have been working together for 7 years and I am not sure I can take it much longer. I see several opportunities for us to grow our business but my brother says we are fine just the way we are. I’m optimistic and aggressive and he is conservative and content. I see huge personal opportunities slipping away since I am stuck with him as a partner. What should I do?

Great question Jeff. I see this play out with so many of the families I work with. In fact it was one of the biggest contributors to why I left my family business after 16 years. The underlying issue is what we call in coaching as style differences. As I look back now on our situation and I think about it, here’s a concept, get this. If we had learned to appreciate each other’s styles, we would have been an even stronger team, but unfortunately people get stuck in resentment and frustration which leads to real issues in the business.

A successful family knows that you actually need a healthy amount of tension between the different styles. It’s what one of my clients describe is how they get the most juice out of the orange. The first thing you need to do is to learn to identify and name the different styles between you and your brother. I use a very simple and inexpensive questionnaire from a colleague of mine, Laurie Beth Jones. She has identified 4 basic styles: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire.

I am telling you, it will be some of the best money you have spent this year. Sit down and map out your communication do’s and don’ts. Really figure out what really works for you when others communicate with you a certain way and what really drives you nuts. Now here’s the most important part, really start practicing having some self awareness you knucklehead! Really start to see your style and other people’s style and action and try to identify their style and see if you can modify your approach to speak in their language. Trust me it will make a big difference getting things done the way you’d like to get them done and then after you do that, go out and go to your brother; tell him what you have been up to and ask him to participate in this exercise.

Listen to me, you really do need these different styles and as soon as you can begin to genuinely appreciate each other’s style you’ll have better decisions, better results, and better satisfaction in the work you are doing.

As always send this onto to others who you think could benefit and send us your successes and challenges with this drill or your other questions you would like to see us handle. It’s how we help all of the families in this community. We all learn from each other.

Here’s a bonus for you: Send me your test results, I’ll compare them to all the other people I’ve been working with and really tell you how screwed up you are.

Now, get back into the game and play to your potential!

Posted by Pete Walsh

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

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